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Envisat - MIPAS Level 2 processor operational switch

03 June 2010 - ESA would like to announce the upcoming switch of the MIPAS operational processor Version 5.05. The new processor will allow the operational processing of MIPAS Level 2 data that was deactivated in the ESA Ground Segment since 2005.

It is currently foreseen to activate the new processor in Near Real Time (NRT) and Off-line (OFL) processing sites mid June 2010. The precise date and activation orbit will be communicated when available.

Details on the processor upgrades and format changes are provided below.

Level 1 Processor upgrades

The new Envisat Orbit CFI Version 5.8.1 (available from the ENVISAT CFI software page) was implemented in the Level 1b processor. This will allow the processing of MIPAS data following the orbit change planned in October 2010 in the frame of the Envisat Mission extension.

No other algorithm or format upgrades were implemented with respect to the current operational processor Version 5.02.

Level 2 Processor upgrades

Significant upgrades were implemented in the Level 2 processor affecting both the algorithm baseline and the product format.

The new operational processor Version 5.05 has been updated to process Level 2 the MIPAS measurements of the Optimized Resolution scenario (from Jan 2005 onward). In particular the following upgrades are included with respect to the previous MIPAS Version 4 processor baseline:

  • The A-posteriori regularization is applied to the main target parameters (temperature, O3, HNO3, CH4, N2O and NO2), except for pressure and H2O profiles.
  • The Averaging Kernel Matrix (AKM) of the regularized profile is provided in the new output Level 2 products. Use of MIPAS vertical averaging kernels in validation activities (PDF)
  • A new set of altitude information is provided within the new baseline: the ECMWF corrected altitudes that are unbiased with respect to the lowest engineering altitude.
  • In order to reduce the occurrence of strongly oscillating profiles, the retrieval grids of both CH4 and N2O have been modified to include only one tangent altitude every two contiguous measurements below approximately 30 km.
  • Processing of Middle Atmosphere (MA) and Upper Atmosphere (UA) special modes will be performed with this IPF, but only in the altitude range covered by the Nominal observation scenario, meaning up to 70km.
  • A number of minor changes were implemented for algorithm corrections and improvements. This includes the correction of errors in the computation of the continuum and temperature/VMR derivatives. In addition the yearly updated CO2 profiles will be used as initial guess.

Product Format and Tools

The updated Product Specification that accounts for the new format of the Level 2 products is available: ENVISAT - 1 Products Specifications, Volume 12: MIPAS Products Specifications

The BEAT Software version 6.3.0 has been already aligned to the new specification. Download Basic Envisat Atmospheric Toolbox (BEAT)

The latest Enviview version (2.8.1) was also released that is aligned to the new Level 2 MIPAS products format. Download latest Enviview version (2.8.1)

Information on the usage of the MIPAS vertical and horizontal Averaging Kernels can be found under the following links:

Access details

Please contact the ESA EOHelpdesk (eohelp@eo.esa.int) to get access to the new MIPAS Level 2 data.